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BtoBet: Coming Out Successfully From The Current Sportsbook Scenario

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  • Short-term mitigation plans could shape up a new industry on the long term

As the iGaming industry is adapting to the live sport events shortfall that has now taken the iGaming industry by storm, not everything is doom and gloom. Alessandro Fried, BtoBet’s Chief Executive Officer, discusses the interim measures that operators are adopting to mitigate the gap created in the sportsbook vertical, and how eventually the industry will morph into a more diverse scenario based on the decisions that operators are taking at the moment.

 

In what way will the current situation impact the industry?

Everyone is expecting live sport events to surely resume shortly. They will be back, and with them the sports betting vertical will pick up where it left and bounce back. At this point in time the Italian top league clubs are all set to resume their training in a couple of weeks, whilst in Germany teams have already resumed with their preparations to final sprint of the Bundesliga.

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However, it is true that the industry has undoubtedly been impacted. No one has ever imagined a scenario where live sports on practically a global level would be made unavailable. The pandemic and its consequences, with governments and authorities alike putting in place extraordinary measures imposing social distancing in order to curb the outbreak, has disrupted mostly those bookmakers who throughout the years have based their business activities on a retail network. The same applies for the retail casino outlets, with Las Vegas as the primary example, literally closing down its doors for business.

It is with this in mind that I expect a major shift in operators’ strategies in the immediate to short term, with retail licensees seeking to migrate their business activities to the digital mediums, thus also mitigating for any future downturns in terms of retail customers.

 

Turnover from live sportsbetting is a major problem for most operators. However, have other verticals seen an increase in player engagement?

The current circumstances related to live sport events has had its major toll on those operators who have based their offering primarily on live football events, with the top leagues generating an ever increasing revenue stream as this form of gambling is nowadays being considered as an extension to the events themselves. Such are the number of followers that these events produce. However, the scenario has changed abruptly, and live sport events that on a daily basis averaged into hundreds of events have now been reduced to merely a handful. Live betting now comprises of football events in Belarus and Nicaragua, table tennis in Russia, and racing from the United States, Hong Kong and Australia. Which all in all amount to a rather limited content portfolio and will not make up for the loss of revenue that other major sport events generate.

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Undoubtedly this translates directly to a significant loss in terms of turnover, with many industry experts expecting as much as 70% or even higher in terms of loss. On the other hand, and this needs to be highlighted, operators and suppliers alike have been agile in identifying new means of how to diversify the players’ engagement across a broader portfolio of verticals.

One of the major verticals that has seen a major bump on the immediate term has undoubtedly been virtual sports, which nowadays is accounting as much as 40% in terms of operators’ turnover. The same can be said with reference to the esports vertical and online casino vertical, with certain operators doubling their turnover in these verticals over a relatively short period of time.

 

How will the current situation impact the industry for the short term and the long term?

I reiterate that live sport events are resuming sooner rather than later. And I expect a high player engagement, if not actually higher, once the situation normalises itself. Does this mean that the industry will resume in its steps before the Covid-19 pandemic ensued? I highly doubt so. Even though there are few historical episodes which provide us with the required data as to how we will emerge from this situation, I expect the new more diversified content approach endorsed by the operators to stick also for the long term.

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Operators are now seeing the opportunities that reside in other verticals. Since sport events have been cancelled, sportsbetting players have turned their focus to alternative betting products, be they virtual sports, esports, and online casino amongst other verticals.

In today’s context, I expect this “cross-selling” to other verticals to become even more determining as we go forward, because the current situation will surely have a lasting effect even on people in terms of their gambling behaviour.

I also expect retail operators to adopt a diversification of their business strategies and move towards the online channels. Does this mean that the brick and mortar experience will be a thing of the past? Certainly not. Retail betting shops and casinos still offer a betting and gambling experience in their own unique way. On the other hand I do envisage an expansion to the digital channels to complement the retail offer, with operators necessitating of a diversification of their revenue stream whilst also being better placed to retain their current fold of players, and acquire new customers through targeted marketing campaigns.

 

You have mentioned that operators are opting to “migrate” their players from sportsbook to other verticals.

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Sports betting is an activity that nowadays is considered by the players as an enhancement to the real live action. One should also state that the vast majority of players bet on the teams, leagues, and different sports categories which they usually follow, and of which they have a good knowledge and understanding. There is an emotional attachment to sports betting, which in itself is driving operators to seek creative solutions in order to close the gap created by this “live sports void” for the short term.

Not only are they integrating new, innovative and alternative vertical content. They are going to great lengths to ensure a high level of player engagement even on the sportsbook itself, by exploring and expanding markets – such as the props market – that have until now played a rather minor role in the sportsbook vertical.

Most of our partners are realising the benefits that this expanded sportsbook content can have also in terms of retaining their fold of loyal players.

More importantly nowadays we are assisting operators pushing in their bid to create and develop new vertical markets. This is a further indication that eventually we are going to have a better, and stronger scenario, where sportsbook will still reign supreme, but strong gains will be registered in other verticals as operators will seek to diversify ever more their revenue stream.

 

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How is BtoBet assisting its partners in mitigating the short term effects, and possibly putting in place a strategy for the longer term?

For the past months BtoBet has focused on boosting all its verticals in order to place all operators in the position to determine which strategy they want to undertake for their target players, whether they want to focus on sportsbook, online casino, lotteries, virtuals, e-sports and fantasy sports.

Nonetheless throughout these times we are still investing and pushing to provide bookmakers with the best range of alternative vertical content, whilst at the same time keeping focused on delivering a long term plan ensuring our partners will reap benefits by adapting a player-centric approach.

This is why we have put a strategy for the short term period assisting all our partners with the introduction of special content including:

  • a daily selection of the most important horse-racing events,
  • a new and engaging novelty bet section,
  • extended E-Sports content,
  • a boosted odds fantasy league,
  • and a tennis game based on the outcome of more than 1 million matches.

We will also offer all our assistance to bookmakers and other operators in diversifying their business model by integrating a wider content for the Virtuals, with games from six leading industry providers natively integrated in the Btobet platform; an Online Casino portfolio consisting of an extensive list of over 8000 games from over 100 providers; and a wide selection of Lotteries, Instant Lotteries and Jackpots, with prizes up to €150 million.

Our past investments have also seen us launch a new retail solution, intended to not only boost the betting experience at the brick and mortar level, but also aptly enable operators to transform their non registered players into registered customers through a rapid registration process.

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I am confident that the current sportsbook shortfall will be just a small blip in the radar for the majority of operators who optimise their business strategies, allowing them to reap major revenue increase opportunities from a wider verticals portfolio on the long term.

 

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Awards Up For Grabs: ELA Games Shortlisted in Two Categories at SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025

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The studio continues its momentum with two new nominations

ELA Games, a dynamic game development studio, is proud to announce its double nomination at the upcoming SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025 in the “Best Game Studio” and “Best Slot Game Provider” categories.

These nominations for two of the most prestigious categories at the event highlight a milestone year for ELA Games, marked by innovative developments, a growing portfolio, and key partnerships. Central to this recognition are standout titles including Shoot Happens, Juicy Crystal, and Joker Winpot. Each title has showcased the studio’s balance of creativity, visually rich design, and technical excellence.

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Shoot Happens is a prime example of ELA Games’ progression as a game development studio. It’s a high-energy game that breaks from traditional game formats to give players more agency over their gameplay. Players face off against increasingly tougher and valuable opponents to fill up their “Winpot,” which they can then choose when to cash out. Shoot Happens reflects ELA Games’ ambitions to offer new experiences that connect with modern player preferences and provide high-performing content for operators.

Marharyta Yerina, ELA Games’ Managing Director, commented on the nominations, “The team has been in overdrive working on new titles and rethinking the online gaming landscape. Being nominated for two of the biggest categories at the SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025 is a testament to the entire team’s efforts to create engaging, visually rich content that’s genuinely fun to play. We look forward to the award ceremony results and continuing to push creative boundaries with new, exciting games!”

Voting is open for the SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025.

The post Awards Up For Grabs: ELA Games Shortlisted in Two Categories at SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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WA. Technology Receives GLI Certification in Brazil for Casino Aggregator Product

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Global iGaming solutions provider, WA. Technology has earned Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) certification in Brazil for its casino aggregator product as it looks to expand its presence in South America.

Certification for its standalone casino aggregator product allows WA Technology to increase its range of integrated iGaming content supplied to operators in the Brazilian market.

This ever-expanding catalogue of content includes tens of thousands of games, cementing it as a more trusted partner for operators seeking to thrive in this market, with the added assurance that it fully complies with Brazilian regulatory requirements.

Meeting the necessary requirements for the casino product builds on WA Technology’s strong record in the region, where it already has an established presence and certified platform, with an experienced team of professionals based out of an office in Recife. This gives the business a unique understanding of the players in the country and the team to simplify any complexities that may arise for operators.

By making the aggregator a standalone product, the team can provide content to operators who are not already on the WA Technology platform, joining the likes of F12 Bet, which already uses the full turnkey sportsbook, casino and player account management.
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The certification follows on from recent launches such as its Pick’Em player products for stats-led gameplay and Sportsbook Managed Service, to provide operators with more services and opportunities to grow.

Commenting on the certification, Phyllyp Sedicias, WA. Technology’s
Country Director for Brazil said: “This is a significant milestone for the business and signals our intent to expand further into the Brazilian market. I’m proud of the team’s hard work to secure this certificate and allow us to meet the market demands for casino games within this region.
“GLI certification for our casino aggregator product means we can now provide operators with additional opportunities to enhance their content through an experienced team with a proven track record in the region, which we look forward to growing our partnerships even further.”

The post WA. Technology Receives GLI Certification in Brazil for Casino Aggregator Product appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Playzia secures strategic UK market deal with Midnite, bringing Love Island-themed games to players

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Playzia, a rapidly growing force in the iGaming industry, is thrilled to announce a landmark partnership with Midnite, one of the UK’s fastest-growing operators. This agreement significantly expands Playzia’s presence in the UK’s highly competitive and regulated market while delivering a wave of new, engaging content to Midnite players, headlined by Playzia’s new Love Island games.

As part of this strategic deal, Midnite will offer its UK players access to Playzia’s full portfolio of in-house developed titles, including player-favorites such as Grand Ocean Megaways™, Zeus’s Thunderstrike, Billionaire Buffalo Hold ‘n Win, and Piggy Clusters.

The partnership will also introduce Midnite’s audience to Playzia’s much-anticipated Love Island-branded content, launching this summer to coincide with the 2025 season of the hit ITV Studios reality show. The recently launched flagship title, Love Island – Love in a Spin, is an exclusive online slot created under a three-year licensing agreement with Zoo 55, part of ITV Studios, which will produce a total of 10 Love Island Games.

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Joe Caetano, Head of Commercials at Playzia, commented on the partnership: “Teaming up with Midnite is a significant milestone as we expand our footprint in regulated markets, particularly the UK. Midnite is known for delivering cutting-edge betting experiences to its players, making them an ideal partner for our games. We are especially excited to bring our new Love Island titles to their platform just in time for this summer’s series. It is the perfect moment for UK players to step into the villa and experience something truly unique.”

Midnite’s Senior Casino Manager, Chelsea Pinho, said: “We are constantly striving to enhance the Midnite casino experience for our players and this partnership adds to our rich offering of content. We are particularly excited to offer a selection of Love Island games – including Love in a Spin – and I am sure they will be a perfect match for our players. At Midnite, we are passionate about bringing fans closer to the games they love – or in this case a TV show they love.”

This latest agreement further cements Playzia’s reputation as an innovative, top-tier content supplier with a roadmap that spans slots, crash, instant win, table, and probability-based games. With its strong focus on localised, branded content and new gameplay mechanics, Playzia is poised to deliver unforgettable experiences to players in the UK and beyond.

The deal also follows Playzia’s recent industry recognition, with nominations in the Slot Supplier (Under 5 Years) and Software Rising Star categories at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards 2025.

The post Playzia secures strategic UK market deal with Midnite, bringing Love Island-themed games to players appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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